[Vietnam] Chapter XXX: In which Vietnamese soldiers simply do their duty

We probably shouldn't have chased River Water down the Mekong from Cambodia to Vietnam, as related in the previous chapter.

This became evidently clear once we descended from the airplane that had taken us from Can Tho (VCA) to Danang (DAD), for its big brother, Rain Water, was already waiting for us there, ready to execute its timely revenge by pounding on us relentlessly for most of

our first day in Hoi An, forcing us to cower under roofs for hours and only emerge during the brief rainless lulls.

Still, on the next day it had apparently somewhat forgiven us and we were able to tour Hoi An's ancient town. While we found the place a bit touristy, with every second house a cafe or souvenir shop, and the entry ticket a bit unfriendly, forcing one to pick only 5 (of 22) sites to enter, while offering little to no information as to how one should make that choice, we nevertheless saw some lovely old houses and assembly halls.

But perhaps more interesting than seeing the sites themselves was observing the efforts of the local population, with the assistance of Vietnamese army recruits seconded for the task, to recover from the flood that had overrun the town earlier that week, an offshoot of the Damrey typhoon that had hit Vietnam a few hundred kilometres to the south. While there were still a few mildly flooded streets near the river, this was apparently nothing compared to what the town had undergone only five days before, with locals reporting water levels higher than two metres (astounding to us, but apparently almost a yearly occurrence for the townspeople). As we walked the lanes and alleys of the old town, we could see home owners and merchants busy at cleaning their houses and shops and polishing their furniture, as well as unpacking items that had been removed to higher ground before or during the flood. And we also saw many young Vietnamese soldiers, probably fresh off boot camp, busy at raking mud and debris off the cobbled streets in an attempt to make them more habitable. A poignant reminder of the power of wind and water, and the ongoing effect it has on those living in south east Asia.

Accommodations:
- Homestay Hoa Mau Don (Peony), Hoi An (2 nights; ok, except that our rooms had too many windows)

Photo captions: (a) the flooded countryside, as seen from the plane; (b-p) streets and canals of Hoi An's old town; (q-r) The Japanese Bridge; (s-t) The Phuc Kien Assembly Hall; (u-v) The Quan Thang Old House; (w) The Tan Ky Old House; (x-cc) The Quang Trieu Assembly Hall